Chapter 154

AN: Sorry I didn't upload yesterday. Time just got away from me. Still, thank you for the support! It is deeply appreciated!

Hermione never understood why she couldn't just swallow the chemotherapy potion. On the surface it didn't seem impossible. Muggles had chemotherapy pills. A vast majority of potions were ingested. Perhaps going through the digestive system would dilute the potion, but surely someone could remedy that. It might be time to talk to Severus about a drinkable chemotherapy potion. Surely they could come up with one…

She felt the prick of the IV in her arm.

Even if they could develop a chemotherapy potion, most healers were older and more suspicious of newer methods. The IV was going to be around much longer than anyone would have liked.

Hermione slumped further into the lavender padded chair. It might be for the best that the potion was administered via IV. Her stomach was still churning for the dark magic treatment, and it was taking all of her strength just to sit upright. No, it was doubtful she could swallow a potion in her condition.

The IV stung again. Her eyes fell upon her left arm.

Her "Mudblood" scar was growing clearer.

A tear came to Hermione's eyes. How loudly would Bellatrix cackle if she saw me like this? Would Dolohov be amused by my pain? If Voldemort was here, would he use my condition as proof that mudbloods are genetically inferior to purebloods? Would Rudolphus point out to Severus that my children inherited the propensity for cancer from me? If thirty years ago Severus knew my ultimate fate, would he have so much as considered marrying me?

"Hermione."

"Yes, Love?"

"Are you well?"

"As well as I can be."

Severus folded his hands.

A smile crept across her face. No, Severus would still have married and fallen in love with me if he knew of my future condition. He would remain by my side, just as he always has.

I love him.

"Hermione, what are you thinking?" Severus asked.

She faced her husband. "I was only reflecting on a few things."

The wooden chair creaked under Severus. "Would you care to share any of your reflections?"

"They are nothing you should be concerned with," Hermione answered.

Severus hummed, but did not press her any further.

"When are the children coming?" Hermione asked.

"They said they would come by around seven," Severus answered. "Though if you are asleep then I will tell them to come at a later time."

She exhaled. "I woke up for them when they cried for me as infants. I can wake up and talk to them when they are adults."

"I suppose we did spend several nights operating on less than two hours of sleep," Severus replied.

Hermione's smile grew. "I think Victor's infancy was the worst. He was a decent enough sleeper, but when he woke up so did Rose. Once we tended to him she would ask for a bedtime story or want to be cuddled too. That could keep us up another hour, and by then he would need something else."

"I remember wondering if it was advisable to give into Rose's every whim, but I felt awful for her," Severus replied. "She did not understand why she was no longer the center of the universe, and I had no idea how to rectify the situation. Perhaps I could have dealt with it better by not giving into her demands so often, but I had never dealt with a younger sibling. How was I supposed to understand how best to make her feel less ignored?"

"You spoiled her rotten as a child," Hermione replied. "Then again, you spoiled her rotten as a teen and an adult. Really come to think of it, you spoiled all the children rotten throughout all of their lives."

"Yet they turned out well enough."

"Indeed they did. You are an excellent father to them."

"You are an excellent mother to them as well."

"We make a great team."

"Indeed we do."

"Somehow in spite of our shaky beginnings, we found a way to come together and create a family. I could not imagine living my life with anyone else, which is odd given how we felt about each other when we first met."

"Trust me, as a professor I could never have fathomed being this happy with someone I wrongly considered to be an obnoxious know-it-all, yet I am completely ecstatic when I am with you."

"I would not have imagined myself with the surliest professor to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts, yet you have made me happy beyond my wildest dreams."

Severus stepped over and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you Mrs. Snape."

"I love you too, Mr. Snape," she whispered.

Severus knelt until he was at eye level with Hermione. "May I ask you a question?"

"No," she answered with a gleam in her eyes. "I am the only one in this marriage allowed to ask questions."

He frowned. She burst out laughing.

"Witch," he growled.

She gasped for air. "Very well then. For once, I will allow you to ask a question."

"How oh so kind of you," he answered with a gleam in his eyes.

"I am capable of kindness every once in a while."

"You are nothing if not kind to me."

She caught her breath. "What do you wish to ask me?"

"Right before we left, I caught you levitating a quill."

The humor evaporated from her face.

"Why were you doing that?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "I didn't know if that would be the last spell I could perform correctly."

"Excuse me?" Severus asked.

Hermione exhaled. "The last time we left for my treatment, I cast a dusting spell to clean off the coffee table. It seemed so mundane and poorly thought out. As I lay in the bed that night, I began to worry that my last spell would be something minor, something which meant nothing to me. For someone who's taken such pride in her magic, that isn't acceptable."

Severus hummed.

"Fortunately, I am still able to perform magic effectively, but as the time for this appointment drew closer, I began to wonder what my last spell should be. It needed to be something special, something which held a deep meaning for me."

"I see."

"Personally, and I mean this seriously," the light returned to her eyes. "I would've liked to have performed the opriti sangra, but I didn't want to perform a sectumsempra just to nonverbally reverse it."

"You will never allow me to live down the fact that you were able to nonverbally able to counter a sectumsempra," Severus answered with a mock scowl.

"Honestly, I wouldn't cast it because it lessened one of your accomplishments."

"Then why would you want that to be one of your last spells?"

"I like the spell because it heals a serious wound without scarring. I want to be remembered for healing others, not just as a member of the Golden Trio or someone who fought Fenrir."

"That is fair enough."

"Plus," her smile returned. "It was hilarious to see the look on your face when you read the journal article on it."

"I had thought it was a joke until I noticed the name at the bottom of the article," he answered.

"In my defense, I did make it all up to you," she winked.

His lips curled up. "Indeed you did, though in my defense there was little to make up."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. The minute I looked in your eyes I remembered that you were the woman I loved above all others. Any irritation I had with you evaporated when I gazed into your eyes."

Hermione blushed. "Who would have known that under all that snark you are quite the romantic?"

"No, under all that snark I am truthful," Severus answered. "I cherish you more than I have ever cherished any spell."

"I was so proud when I first cast a Wingardium Leviosa. It was the first spell I'd successfully cast. To me, it was proof that I was just as good as the other wizards in the school. Nothing has ever been able to taint that memory, not even the arse who mocked me afterwards."

"I can understand why it would mean something to you then."

"That being said," Hermione readjusted herself. "If I had to choose a last act of magic, it would be to brew one last batch of amortentia."